The present invention relates, in general, to exercise equipment and, specifically, to weight lifting apparatus and, more specifically, to dumbbells.
Weight lifting using free-weights is widely enjoyable as a form of exercise and strength conditioning. Barbells and dumbbells are used in different workout routines to exercise and strengthen various muscle groups, such as biceps, triceps, pectorals, etc., depending upon the manner in which the free-weights are lifted and for the body position of the user.
In using dumbbells, the dumbbells are typically stored in a rack or on the floor. The user must lift the dumbbells into the starting exercise position for chest or shoulder muscle exercises. These starting exercise position for various muscle groups is well off the ground.
The user must use the strength of his arm muscles, particularly the biceps, in order to move the dumbbells from the floor or rack into the starting exercise position. Such exercises were designed to develop chest and/or shoulder muscles and not arm muscles. Further, particularly at higher weights, it may be difficult for a user to lift heavy weight dumbbells from the floor or rack using only the smaller bicep muscles rather than the larger chest or shoulder muscles. Further, any attempts to lift large weights off of the floor to the starting exercise position could result in a injury to the user's back.
It is known to construct frames specifically designed for receiving a pair of dumbbells, where the frames provide vertical adjustability for the dumbbell rests or supports. However, with one exception, all of the previously devised dumbbell supports are fixedly mounted perpendicular to the frame. This places the dumbbell handles at an inconvenient position for gripping by a weightlifter when in a seated position in front of the dumbbell supports.
In the one instance, a dumbbell holder is provided with a support frame in which the dumbbell rests are fixedly positioned at an acute angle from a horizontal line extending between the rest supports. However, in this design, the dumbbell rests are fixed at the one acute angle.
Further, such dumbbell supports, while providing vertical adjustability, do not have an or have only limited means for horizontal adjustment of the pair of dumbbell rests relative to each other. Thus, dumbbell rests which are fixed at a given spacing on a support frame(s) may not be in an idea position for some weightlifters to easily grasp the dumbbells or, at the competition of the exercise, easily and safely placing the dumbbells back onto the rests.
In one dumbbell support design, the two side frames are connected by a two telescopingly interconnected crossbars. A pin is releasibly extendable through aligned apertures in the ends of the two crossbars to adjust the horizontal spacing between the pair of dumbbell rests. However, one complete side frame, dumbbell rest, and crossbar must be manually lifted or dragged relative to the ground and urged toward or away from the opposed side frame. Due to high weight levels which may be lifted, the support frame, crossbar, and rest represent a considerable weight which presents an inconvenience to the weightlifter in setting up the dumbbell rest support for an exercise. Further, this weight must be supported by the user in order to precisely align two apertures in the crossbars for insertion of the locking pin therethrough.
Thus, it would be desirable to right a dumbbell support which provides easier use of dumbbells in weightlifting exercises. It would also be desirable to provide a dumbbell support which addresses deficiencies found in previously devised dumbbell supports.